Dome light



y 9, 1935- H. J. GRAHAM EMOZSZg DOMELIGHT Filed Aug. 24; 1933 j; I HERBERTJ. GRAHAM Patentecl July 9, 1935 v UNITED STATES? T- ow 2.001 8 DOME LIGHT I U Herbert J. Graham yl hiladelphia, Pa assig nor to Electric Service Supplies Company; ,Phila- I delphia, Pa., a corporation 'of P ennsylvania Application August 24, 1933,.Seri al No. 686,485 5c1aims.f(c1.24o-7.35) j v This invention relates generally to illuminating fixtures and more particularly to improvements in vehicle dome or ceiling lighting units.

It is among the principal objects of thepresent invention to provide a new and improved vehicle dome light which is not only simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture. but which is also compact in design and of pleasing external appearance.

Another object of the present invention is th provision in a dome light having a lamp sup- "porting body and a. dome or globe .operatively associated therewith of means for facilitating the disengagement of said dome or globe from the body,.said means serving normally to provide a substantial and efficient hinged connection between said lamp supporting body and said globe.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide a substantially weather tight connection between the hinged elements of the lighting unit when the latter are secured together in operative relation and to provide effective means for retaining the globe in position against accidental displacement when the same is open with respect to the lamp supporting body or entirely removed therefrom; 1

Other objectsofthe invention and advantages thereof resulting from; the details of construction will be apparent more fully hereinafter. 1

The invention oonsistssubstantially in the combination,'construction, location and relative are. rangement of parts, all as will appear more fully hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawing andas finally pointed out in the appended claims. ..I

In the said accompanying drawing:-, Figure]. isa front plan view of a dome ligh constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2' is a rear plan view of the dome light;- Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the dome light showing the cover assembly thereof. in

hinged relation to the lamp supporting body thereof v Figure 4 is a view similar to'Figure 3 but showing the cover assembly entirely removed from the lamp supporting body;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the dome light; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the hinge element.

Referring now more particularly to the drawiing it will be seen that the dome light, designated generally by the reference numeral It, comprises a main body or base H the central portion l2 of which isdished orfs'haped to form a concave 1eflectingsurfacel3. This central portion is provided with a circumferentially extending, plane marginal surface- 'l4 the outer edge of which is turned upwardly to provide a substantially axially extendingannular rim portion I5. terminating in a-laterally extending flange I6. As appears most clearly in Figure 5, this flange l6 which forms an integral part of and extends circumferentially around the rim i5, is inclined with respect to the horizontalplane of the outer free edgethereof.

The flange i6 is p'rovided with 'a plurality of apertures ll through which securing elements, preferably in the form ofvscrews-l 8, are projected forfsecuring the body to the ceiling of the vehicle or to any other desired supporting surface for -the lighting unit, Encircling the rim l5 of the gasket lll. Suitablysecured to the central portion l2 of the body H is a lamp socket 2| for supporting a lamp'bulb 22. v

Adapted for operative association with the lamp supporting body I l is a closure assembly comprising a globe'support 23 whichiscentrally apertured to permit theprojection therethrough of a glass globe or dome 24; As appears most clearly in Figure 5, the peripheral edge of the member 23 is rolled, as at25-,to provide a beaded edge with in which is received a spring wire dome retaining element 26, this element being provided at circumferentially spaced intervals with inwardly directedportions 21 adapted to overlie the inner edge of the dome 24 whereby to retain the'latter in position within its supporting member 23. It will be observed that therolled edge 25 of the dome supporting member 23 is of a diameter sufficientto permit it to circumferentially engage the free marginaledge of the lamp supporting body II. It willfurther be observed that when the lamp supporting body, and the closure assembly are assembled in the relation shown in Figure 5, the inner surface of the dome 24 immediately adjacent the free edge thereof isbrought into intimate engagement with the cushioning gasket I9 thereby affording at this point a substantially weather-tight seal for protecting. the interior of the lighting unit against the deleterious influences with respect to the plane of the inner hinged portion thereof. The lamp supporting body llv is provided in the flanged portion l6 thereof with a pair of radially spaced struck-out strap pore tions and 3| to afford a plurality of radially spaced slots 32 in said flange l6 through which the free end of the leaf 29 may be projected. Due to the springy nature of this leaf member and to its longitudinal cross-sectional shape, "when said leaf member is projected through thezslots in the portion ii of the lamp supporting body H, a quick-detachable connection is afforded which is sufficient to maintain the lamp supporting body H and the dome supporting member 23 in the assembled relation shown in Figure 3, it being observed that the closure assembly is thus hingediy secured to .the lamp supporting body II, which latter is in turn fixedly secured tothe wall or ceiling of the vehicle. I I

In order to effect a sufficiently positive interlock between the leaf 29 and the lamp supporting body I I, it will be observed that the outer struckout portion 39 is so formed as to provide a shoulder 33 with which the bend 34 in the leaf 291s adapted to engage (see Figure 5). In addition it is preferable that the leaf 29 be so formed that when it is fully inserted in position the outer bend 35 thereof is in position to frictionally'engage the edge 36 of the struck-out portion ll.

In order to secure the closure assembly in the closed relation shown in Figure 5, a nut and bolt arrangement is provided at a point diametrically opposite the hinged connection. A'nut- 31 is secured to the rear surface of the flange ii and. in registry with an aperture 38 formed in said flange. The globe support 23 is also provided with an aperture 39 through which is'projected a headed bolt 40 for threaded engagement with the nut 31. Any suitable means may be employedfor preventing axial displacement of the bolt relatively to the support 23, it being understoodthat upon threading the bolt into the nut the dome support 23 and the dome carried thereby will bejrotated about the hinged connection and so drawn into the position shown inFigure 5.

If, for any purpose, it becomes desirable to. remove the dome cover assembly bodily from the lamp supporting body, it is merely necessarypto swing the said assembly into the full line position shown in Figure 3 and then, by a lateral movement, shift the assembly so as to effect the disengagement of the leaf 29 from the lamp supporting body II. It will be understood of course that the invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the general principles thereof.

What isclaimed as new and useful is:-

1. In a dome light,.a support shaped to form a reflector and having a lamp socket operatively associated therewith, said support including a circumferentially extending flange encircling the reflector portion thereof, a centrally apertured plate, a member in the form of a leaf having one end thereof hingediy secured to the peripheral edge of said plate, slotted means in said circumferentially extending flange for slidably receiving the freely'extending portion of said leaf member, and a dome centrally received within said apertured plate.

' 2. In a dome light, a support shaped to form a reflector and having a lamp socket operatively associated therewith, said support being provided with a circumferentially extending flange, a dome assembly adapted to embrace and cover the reflector portion of said support, said assembly including a plate the peripheral edge of which is adapted to overlie and engage the peripheral edge of said flange, a leaf member having one end thereof hingediy secured to said peripheral edge of said plate, and slotted means in said flange for frictionally receiving and retaining in position the freely extending body portion of said leaf member.

3. In a dome light, a support shaped to form a reflector and having a lamp socket operatively associated therewith, a dome assembly adapted to embrace and cover the reflector portion of said support, a leaf member hingediy secured to and adapted to extend radially inwardly of the edge of said assembly, and slotted means in said support for frictionally receiving the freely extending body of said leaf member.

4. In a dome light, a base member shaped to form a reflector having a lamp socket operatively associated therewith, said base member having a plane marginal portion surrounding said reflector, said marginal portion having formed therein a plurality of radially spaced slots, 2. leaf member the body of which is threaded through said slots for frictional retention therein, the outer end of said leaf member projecting beyond the peripheral edge of said marginal portion, and a dome assembly hinged to said projecting end of the leaf member and adapted. to embrace and cover the reflector portion of the base member.

5. A dome light, a. support having a plane marginal portion and a raised central portion, said central portion being dished to form a, reflector, a dome assembly including a glass dome and a retainer therefor, the overall diameter of said retainer being approximately equal to that of said base member, a leaf member hinged to the peripheral edge of said retainer and adapted to project radially inwardly thereof, and slotted means in said marginal portion of the base memher for frictionally receiving and retaining the freely extending body of said leaf member, said leaf member being operative when secured to said base member to permit the dome assembly to be freely swung into open or closed position and being further adapted to be withdrawn laterally from said slotted means whereby to effect the separation of said dome assembly bodily from said support.

HERBERT J. GRAHAM. 

